geethr75's reviews
1370 reviews

The Diplomacy of the Knife by C.M. Caplan

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really dropped the ball on this review. I meant to have it done earlier, but then life, depression, migraine, and more life happened. 

I have been waiting for this one since I read Book 1 of this series. The Fall is All There is was awesome, so I had a lot of expectations. 

Needless to say, this book met and exceeded all of them! 

Petre Mercy is working for his sister, Queen Anoise, having sworn himself to her service. The rebellion headed by their brother, Edgar is hitting hard, and as head of the Mercy Guard, Petre is scrambling to keep up. 

They manage to choke Edgar’s finances and even recover the Recollection Helm, which their mother manages to repair, and with the help of Mercedes Blackheath and her people, they’re at an advantage. When an opportunity arises to capture Edgar’s wife, they take the chance, hoping to end Edgar’s rebellion. 

But nothing has ever gone Petre’s way for a long time, and when things appear too good to be true, that’s when everything goes to shit. 

Once again, this book has been a rollercoaster of emotions, the strange technology, and completely unhinged family dynamics. I was ripe for murder by the end, because HOW DARE THE AUTHOR! 

There’s plenty of action, violence, gore, and I adore all the strange technology in this. There are a lot of characters I hate in this book. In fact, nearly everyone except Petre. I love Avram a LOT, and Fabian remains a favourite despite everything, but Petre’s siblings are UGH. CAN I UNALIVE THEM? 

Also, can I UNALIVE HIS MOM AND A CERTAIN SICK B***H WHOSE NAME STARTS WITH G? 

I also want to unalive the author because the Book ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER! 

But if I unalive them, I won’t get the next book, so they gets a pass. But I want to unalive everyone else. 

Just go read it! READ IT EVERYONE! 

This is so so worth it! 

The Fall is All There Is by C.M. Caplan

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This has been on my TBR for a while and I've not read it because I was warned it was very dark, and I'm not a person who usually reads or likes dark fantasy, but of late I've been on a dark reading mood. I blame Tainted Dominion for changing my tastes so thoroughly. Anyhow, coming back to this, I decided to read it, and– 

 

It's not as dark as I was led to believe. Don't get me wrong, this is an awesome book, and I would give it more stars if there were any, but it's not really something I would call as dark. Very violent, very bloody, very gory, but not dark. 

 

It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure, but it's a book that's really worth reading. Just take heed of the warnings to make sure it won't affect your mental health or well-being, however. 

 

The protagonist is a prince called Petre Mercy who has run away from home five years ago. Being autistic and a general embarrassment, his father, the King, just let him leave. But now, his father's dead and his elder sister (elder is a technicality since Petre is the youngest of quadruplets, and his sister is the eldest) is taking the throne. She requires Petre to go to the capital and take an oath of fealty. Petre also receives a letter from his brother, Edgar, that he's coming to see him and to pick him up. 

 

Petre doesn't want to go, but he fears what his siblings will do to the found family he has now. It consists of Avram, a scientist and inventor who was once employed by his father and who is now exiled, and Mercedes Blackheath, a noble and businesswoman who is a staunch supporter of Anoise, Petre's sister. Having decided to go, Petre sets off with Edgar, only to realise that Edgar isn't taking him to Anoise, that he is infact, rebelling against her. 

 

Petre now has to choose if he wants to join Edgar's rebellion or join Anoise, but whatever he chooses, he might lose one sibling, if not all of them. 

 

I loved Petre's voice in this. It's just this side of frenzied, anxious, panicky, neurodivergent that resonates strongly with me. Like I get how it feels to talk yourself into a panic, to fixate on small details, to not be able to articulate something the way you mean in a conversation. He has other issues as well, like he needs very painful injections to help co-ordinate his muscles and his hand eye co-ordination because he's more likely to trip over his own feet without it. 

 

Apart from the violence, there is a strong theme of familial especially parental abuse in the book. Petre's parents are both abusive assholes, and his mother has treated him as a science project, frustrated at her inability to cure his autism and has invented the injections as a way to compensate for it. His father is all about appearances, forcing Petre to be shunted aside, invisible, while his siblings are held up to impossible standards of perfection the smallest deviation from which calls for punishment. From the way the parents are, it's a surprise the kids didn't turn out even more dysfunctional than they seem to be. 

 

Anoise, who is a lesbian, is forced to marry a man who doesn't seem to care for her, Edgar is rebelling against his sister since he thinks he'll make a better King, Desmon is getting crushed under the expectations of being the cool problem solver, and Petre is the problem child who doesn't care who rules as long as everyone he cares for is safe. 

 

The world itself comes to life as richly detailed and realised without any exposition. There was magic once and technology, but two annihilations have ended it all. Now all they have is corpse technology that creates everything, from Petre's injections, to the food they eat and the horses they ride and the weapons they use. 

 

If you love dystopian books, very flawed characters struggling in an inhospitable world, interpersonal conflicts that are a bit too personal, sibling dynamics, and neurodivergent rep, you will love this book. 

Too Many Gods in the Kitchen by Ben Schenkman

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

The third book in the series, this one continues Nick, Amy and Rob’s adventures. Nick and Rob are partners in the new agency to audit both God Co and Devil Co. Amy is a consultant. Rob and Lester, office manager at Devil Co, are dating, and life is good. 

Or is it? 

Nick gets a proposal from Elphas Co, which represents the Hindu deity, Ganesha, and they had subcontracted Devil Co, which has resulted in a file coming to Nick. Meghna, their client needs a blessing from Lord Ganesha to escape the clutches of an asura who will claim the souls of her family if she fails. One of her ancestors entered into a deal with the asura in return for a successful business, and the asura can claim their souls after three generations. No one except Meghna cares, and Nick’s attempts to convince her father fails miserably. 

Rob is after a case of his own, when a file about a soul in purgatory catches his attention. It leads to a rabbit hole and a scam involving souls. Thousands of souls are involved and they’re neither in heaven nor hell AND not in purgatory either. A family of mediums have them enslaved inside glass statues. 

Amy has her own problems after a trapped soul contacts her. She manages to make contact with the deity who helps her with her witch magic, and he tells her to solve the problem of the souls who are unable to cross over. It’s like they’re all trapped under a heavy weight. 

Soon, they realise that all three problems have common threads and resolving one can lead to resolving all. But in the meantime, they have to deal with murderous asuras and a mafia like family. 

I must say that I love the Hindu mythology aspects in this. As a Hindu and a mythology fan, I adore it whenever it’s incorporated into a book, and it’s done so well in this. 

The characters are so good. Amy and Rob both get their own POVs and character ARCs. Rob and Lester, just like Amy and Nick, make a cute couple whose relationship is based on communication, honesty, respect as well as love. Seriously, I adore both couples! 

The side characters like the coven that Amy is a part of, Meghna, the people from Elphas group, and WALT, the preacher friend of Nick’s are all well realised. 

I was so happy to see the theme of female friendships where Amy wants to have more female friends even though she’s in an amazing relationship with someone who’s always in her corner. The coven fulfils that need in her, and I love to see it! 

And the food descriptions. Nick is a foodie and the descriptions are too good. My diabetic, depressed, ADHD arse was craving carbs and sugars and caffeine. 

I really want more books in this series! 

Dueling Shoulder Angels by Ben Schenkman

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This continues Nick’s tale. He and Amy are going steady, Lu trusts Nick and his deal with the Devil has stopped giving him sleepless nights. 

But of course, that’s when god decides he should take a hand. Nick is thriving under Lu’s care, and now, God wants to poach him. They go by Leslie, and Nick decides to work for them on the side. 

Following a lead given by God’s people, Nick uncovers a conspiracy to trick Devil Co into helping the wrong person. But when Nick gets kidnapped by the conspirators, it’s up to Amy to save him, in alliance with a former enemy. 

I loved the characterisation of God in this. Not just that they’re nonbinary, which is awesome, but also that they, just like Lu, aren’t really omniscient. And their organisation is a mess. 

Also, Nick is the chosen one, and I won’t change my mind. He’s wanted by everyone. I love that Amy gets a PoV in this, because she’s one awesome character. Their relationship is like GOALS. Rob’s redemption Arc is believable, and I’m glad he got one even though I was quite happy to hate him in Book 1. 

Lu is still my favourite. Leslie doesn’t compare at all! 

My Boss is the Devil by Ben Schenkman

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I have been meaning to read this series for a while, and finally got around to it, helped by a migraine which prevented me from doing nearly anything else. 

Nick is a barista, and a college drop out. He hates his job, but loves the work, ie making coffee. He is a coffee addict as well as a foodie. The job pays his bills, rent, and all, but he feels himself stuck. He wants to help others, but he can’t even help himself on most days. 

Everything changes when he accompanies a few friends to a cemetery where they do a ritual to summon the devil. Nick is just a spectator, and is shocked when Lucifer appears before him, offering him a deal. 

In short, Nick gets the life he always dreamt of, gets to help people, but in return, he has to sell his soul to the Devil. Lucifer is a gambling devil, though, and allows Nick to try before he buys. 

To add to his woes, the leader of the satanists who Nick has accompanied to the cemetery is angry enough to kill Nick to take back what he feels is his own opportunity. 

I loved the premise of this, with a devil who’s not evil incarnate, but is more of a businessman than everything. Lu is my favourite, though I really really love Nick. The existential crisis he has after Lu’s visit and the way he spirals feel very believable. 

Working for the devil is not as bad as it’s made out to be, especially since Nick is helping people. Even so, he is constantly questioning himself and his choices, even as he justifies them. 

But the end in some cases do justify the means, and we don’t need to be working for the devil to rationalise our choices. Despite agreeing to the trial period, Nick does it for all the right reasons and remains a good man. 

The prose is full of humour, and I loved how confused Nick gets, and how he’s able to retain his own ethics and values. 

Highly recommended if you like a light hearted book that manages to make you think at the same time. 

Of Friction by S.J. Lee

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I signed up for an ARC of book 2 and so had to read book 1. I think a lot of my reads this year has started like this. 

This is a book that takes place in a futuristic earth which has been affected by climate change. In an attempt to survive the radiations and other factors, investment was made into genetic research, which resulted in the creation of the altered: a superior race of humans who were stronger, bigger and had abilities to survive the harsh conditions. But though research was able to create the altered, it couldn’t change anything about the existing human race. 

As is expected, tensions and war happened between the humans and altered, with the altered having a distinct advantage. But some of the altered wanted peace and didn’t agree with the genocidal tendencies of their leaders. They overthrew their sovereign, and a tentative peace was established between humans and altered. 

A group of Altered calling themselves the promised believes in the extinction of humanity, while human extremists called Children of Charon wants to get rid of all the altered. 

This much is background for the book, some of which is explained straight, and some we can infer from the story. 

Sam Ryan is a marine, who has grown up in the UMF, the military force that protects the humans. Her older brother, Scott has raised her, and she followed him to join the marines when she was twelve. 

When the story opens, Sam is in her twenties and is feeling raw in the aftermath of her brother’s decision to leave the marines once his present contract term is up. Sam has never wanted to be anything other than a marine and has already sent in her request to renew her contract. She is angry with Scott who refuses to explain why he wants to leave, and Sam feels betrayed. 

Sam and Scott have been loaned to a squad called Echo who has been tasked with the mission of finding the Children of Charon in the south and ensuring they don’t do anything to mess up a peace summit happening between the altered royals and the human leaders. Though the mission appears straightforward, their trip to the south is nothing like Sam or the team expects, and they are having to fight for their lives. 

I loved this book from beginning to end. There is never a dull moment. The bonding that happens between Sam and the rest of Echo, the way Sam’s worldview changes slowly, how her relationship with Scott changes, and Sam’s budding attraction to Miriam, the medic of the team, are all brought out well. There is tension throughout the book, and we know that shit will hit the fan, and yet, we are caught by surprise when it does. 

I adored Sam and the rest of Echo, and there are some deaths in the book that were as shocking as they were heart wrenching. It ends in what might be a cliffhanger, which makes me glad I’m having an ARC copy of Book 2. 

I ended up threatening the author after reading this, but that aside, if you love queer, military Sci Fi with a character driven plot, you will love this book. 

It’s also an SPSFC semi finalist this year. 

Toshie the Hero and the Orbs of Destiny by Eric Koziel

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

 

I went into this book with no expectations, and I was extremely pleasantly surprised. The cover made me think this is a children’s book, but it really wasn’t. Despite some of the whimsical names, the story had adult protagonists. 

Toshie dies in the first scene, but she wakes up in a meadow in a strange land and is assigned the role of hero by the sun. Almost immediately, she runs into someone called Dedalus who wants the role of hero. He seems to know more about what is going on and Toshie is glad to hand over the hero role, but that’s not how it works, apparently. It has to be assigned and Dedalus can’t have it while Toshie is alive, and he can’t kill her because that would end up with him being cursed. 

Dedalus insists on taking Toshie to the dwarven king so she can be punished for taking the role that’s rightfully his, and Toshie goes along despite wanting to punch the wannabe hero. The King isn’t interested in anything but asks Toshie to rescue his daughter from a dragon. 

Toshie and Dedalus accompanied by a dwarven soldier called Biscuit With Cheese goes to the dragon’s lair to rescue Princess Tunasalad. The princess doesn’t want to be rescued, however, and the dragon, Yrlith is her lover, not her captor. The dragon bites off Dedalus’ head as he attacks her, but spares Toshie. It turns out Yrlith is not even a dragon, but a dragonkin. The Princess who goes by Sally convinces Biscuit With Cheese to take Dedalus’ head back to the king and convince him that Sally is dead. Toshie agrees to accompany Sally and Yrlith to somewhere safe. 

Except, safety isn’t easily had. The trio rescue a goblin called Brot who wants to be a Priest, their ship is attacked by pirates, Yrlith gets injured, Sally is attacked by a giant spider and they end up as prisoners of Dark Elves who send them back to Sally’s parents to steal a crimson orb. Navarin, the daughter of the Dark Elves’ queen is sent with them to keep an eye on them, which leads to further adventures. 

This was overall, a highly entertaining and fun read. I loved the character dynamics, the banter, and how Toshie changes over the course of the adventure. I will definitely be picking up Book 2! 

On Demon Wrangling and Interpersonal Relationships Between Weary Immortals by Rebecca Crunden

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Into the Forest by Natasha O'Connor

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

midwinter marriage by K.L. Noone

5.0

I started this as soon as I finished Midwinter Firelight and this was even more of a rollercoaster where emotions are concerned. This is connected to the earlier one, but I found out there is one book between these two which I missed, so I need to do that asap!

This one deals with Edmund Rookwood, the son of a Viscount, who is also the elder brother of Sam, who we meet in Midwinter Firelight. Edmund is given an ultimatum by his dying father: he has to get married by Midwinter which is in 7 days or he stands the risk of being disinherited. Edmund has always been the proper one, the one who adhered to rules, who studied hard, worked hard and selflessly for his estates and the people, who has been the obedient son unlike Sam who left home and chose a career which is frowned upon by the ton. To be disinherited was, to Edmund, worse than death. But he's also into men and very demisexual, so he can't obviously marry a stranger within the timeframe his father stipulated. Enter Sebastian, Edmund's best friend from childhood, a Duke who is also a mathematical genius. Sebastian suggests they marry each other to solve Edmund's problem. 

Let me say that I was prepared to dislike Edmund at the start. I liked Sam and Edmund is strongly disapproving of his brother and his choices. But over the course of the book, I changed my mind and gods, I love Edmund so much that if so much as a hair is hurt, I will burn down the world. I loved Edmund and Sebastian's dynamics and how they became friends through mathematical arguments when they were children.

Edmund is a genius no less than Sebastian, but his has been muted by his father's constant recriminations and abuse both physical and emotional. He has been gaslit into thinking he's not good enough and struggles with seeing his own worth. He is at his element, free to be himself only when he's with Sebastian but even then it takes desperation for him to ask Sebastian for help with what he sees as a personal issue.

For those needing warnings, domestic abuse, especially that of children. It's not described as such, but it's mentioned and very much present. Also gaslighting, verbal abuse and whatnot. That there is no reconciliation between Edmund and his abusive father is something I liked about this book. The abusive father is left alone as he deserves to be.

This one made me cry, like full on ugly cry, with all the emotions I felt. Edmund is one of the most relatable characters in the series for me, and I just want to wrap him up and keep him safe from the world, except Sebastian maybe. 

Some of the characters from the previous book makes their appearance here as well, and I loved the way it all tied together and ended.

Recommended for those who like romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, historical fantasy and historical romance and all things queer. Also angst with happy endings.